This invention relates generally to a nursing bottle, that incorporates enhanced features and parameters that provide for its full venting during both usage and storage.
Nursing bottles of a multitude of designs are available in the prior art. In many instances, as is well known in the art, frequently a vacuum will be generated within the bottle during dispensing of its contents, as when nursing the infant, and which is believed can cause various physiological impairments to the child when subjected to this type of condition over prolonged feedings. It is theorized that the vacuum generated within the bottle, due to the infant's sucking, can cause pressure imbalance at the location of various features of the body, such as in the ear canal, or perhaps elsewhere, and which may possibly lead to the generation of infection, illness, or other predicaments. Thus, the presenting of a nursing bottle that incorporates air venting means, so as to prevent the creation of a vacuum inside the bottle, has been considered a desirable development in the field of infant serving products. Such can be seen in the applicants' prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,071 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,769, wherein the reservoir tube that provides for venting, externally of the bottle cap, at an upper proximity, extends into the lower portion of the container, to function as a vent while the contents of the bottle are being consumed, when partially or fully inverted.
Other attempts have been made to provide a nursing bottle with an air vent, to enable the ambient air to enter the container during usage, and to dilute or prevent the generation of any vacuum. For example, the United States patent to Roderick, U.S. Pat. No. 598,231, discloses one such nursing bottle with a U-shaped air tube. Other patents show related types of technology, and provide means for venting air from the interior of its shown container, as can be seen in the United States patent to Van Cleave, U.S. Pat. No. 927,013. In addition, the patent to Davenport, U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,623, in addition to the prior patent to Perry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,061,477, show other means for venting of air from within a nursing bottle.
The current invention, on the other hand, provides means for venting of any air pressure within the bottle, and to prevent the generation of any vacuum or pressure therein, regardless whether the nursing bottle is being used, stored in an upright position, or partially or fully inverted as during consumption of its contents.
Other United States patents that relate to the subject matter of this invention include the United States patent to Briere, U.S. Pat. No. 189,691; U.S. Pat. No. 345,518, to Lelievre; U.S. Pat. No. 679,144, to Hardesty; U.S. Pat. No. 834,014, to Lyke; U.S. Pat. No. 1,600,804 to Donaldson; U.S. Pat. No. 2,156,313, to Schwab; U.S. Pat. No. 2,239,275, to Schwab; U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,755, to Gits; U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,168, to Panetti; U.S. Pat. No. 2,744,696, to Blackstone; U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,707, to Wilkinson, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,796, to Brown, et al. In addition British patent No. 273,185; and, British patent No. 454,053, show related development.